Worktable



Patented Dec. 20, 1949 2,491,827 WQBKTABLE Michael Moreno, San Francisco, Calif. Application May 18, 1946, fierial No. 670,813

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a work table and more particularly to a collapsible work table for forming floral arrangements.

Florists are often requested to form floral arrangements which are specified to be, 'in addi-. tion to type of flower, etc., of a certain shape in order to conform to the object on which the pieceis to be placed. For example, flowers are formed into blankets designed to be placed on caskets or coffins whose lids have a convex shape, and if the piece is not similarlvformed, it is unsightly and will not remain in place.

In practice the floral pieces, for constructing which the table is desisnedtomn se a e ativ y thick lay r. or hedofInQS-0rm0$S-'1i 3 mater a This layer of moss s ordina i y sec ed ii a ht wire frame o grid elve t sta lity and determines its size to shape. The; individual flow rs are hen wcvencr ec red int on top o t bed of t comp ete the ie n the past attem ts h ve eeamede is ma e h floral i ce ccn prmte the s p 9 the. Object on hi the a e to sedsu h a e pt ve ord nari com ised mak f ane of anketed res uilt i approximate e d s red Sh ne .1 .9 meth ds e lum and n elia le an 01 qr iee lv mit accurate sizing and shaping of the piece.

As consequence, thepres'ent invention com.- prises a table specifically designed to eliminate these difficulties. "As will be seen, the table'is formed with a working supportsubstantia'lly the shape desired, andwhich, when the table is not in s m y b f ds W 3 S al vol me t conserve storage space.

Thus, one of the objects of the invention is a fioiists work table'for'm'ed with a preshaped support for forming floral pieces of such predetermined shape.

Another object of the invention is a fiorists work table which is provided with an upper support which may be folded into a vertical position for storage.

1,; further object of the invention is a florists work table which is made coll sible to CQQSfirve storage space when the tablei's t' in use.

Andstill a further object isfa collapsihlcwork table formed with a shaped's upport on which floral arrangements may be constructed whose shape conforms to the shape, of the table.

Although there are a variety of forms of floral pieces required in a normal business, one which is often called for is a blanket fora coffin. The drawings herein illustrate a table for forming a'blanket and these will describedin {it detail below. It is clearly obvious, however, that other shapes and sizes 'c ould readily be substituted and thatthe one illustrated has been chosen only as an example.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a form table for forming afioral piece.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the table illustrated in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the table illustrated in'Fig. 1.

4 is a partial plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1 showing detailsjof the pivot and extensible construction.

Fig. 5 is a partial side elevation of the-portion of the deviceshown inFis.

Fig. 6 is a partial sectional end view of the device shown in Fig. 1 showin details of the movable leg section.

is. a s e e evat n c he table i lus rated in Fig. 1 in collapsed position for storage.

The form of the invention illustrated in the drawings m r se in eneral a .fiqwer su porting member l, a stationary leg section 2, a p ir o e en ime lemen s or lez etehee 1 and a second movable leg section l. The main portions of each of the elements are formed ofheavy wire or metal rods, preferably of some light metal.

The flower supporting member is preferably formed as a gridmounted on a frame. The frame comprises a pair of relatively heavylongitudinal rods ii and similar pair of transverse rods E3. These are suitably secured together ina rectangle by welding or other convenient with the ends, as at I, of the longitudinal rods extending beyond the points or juncture witlri t i 'ee s w s i- See d thi f ame nd spaced at intervals along itar a plurality of arched transverse members 8 which extend up wardly and acrossthe frame in a curve, as can be seen in Fig. 2. This curveis, in the form of invention shown,.approximately the same curve asthe coffin on which the 'fioral piece will be usedh se are .sl quredct' amends a y. Welding to the s udinal rods 7. WhlCh form the frame. Thesearch'edinembers are arranged to support a plurality of longitudinally extend; ing rods or wires 9 of. substantially smallerdiameter spaced'from'ly to 2 apart across the arch and, together with the arched members 5', form a grid support on which the floral piece can be built. Since, as has beencles'cribed, the floral piece has a ire gnomes; a seri'esof p k m b nestiqne ne e u p m st f rod 9 ve w chi' la vir'ef rl be emai' he of work 3 placed to secure it against slipping while forming the floral arrangement.

The flower support member is carried at one end by the leg section 2. This section comprises a pair of spaced hollow shafts H, the upper ends l2 of which are bent over in a direction parallel to the longitudinal rods 5 and 9. Near the extremities of each end section l2 a horizontal hole is drilled of suflicient size to receive one of the transverse rods on the flower support, as can be seen in Fig. 4. The rod 6 is mounted for rotation about its own axis within these holes and is secured against transverse motion by a pair of pins 13 secured to the rod 6 just outwardly of end section [2.

The lower ends of the leg shafts H are joined by a lower horizontal cross member [4 secured to each shaft and extending outwardly therefrom and to the ends of which are secured a pair of conventional casters l5. In addition to cross member [4, a similar upper cross member I6 is provided to insure stability.

The opposite leg section 4 comprises a pair of shafts I1, similar to shafts II and is provided with identical cross members M, l6 and casters l5.

The leg shafts I! are terminated at their upper ends just below the point at which the opposed leg shafts H are bent over to form end sections [2. This construction permits the hollow upper ends to receive a pair of pins I8 secured, as by welding, to the adjacent transverse rod 6, as can be seen in Fig. 6. In this manner, the flower support 4 is securely and levelly supported at its ends by the leg sections 2, 4.

The two leg sections are joined, in the form shown in the drawings by a pair of conventional lazy-tongs 3. These tongs comprise a plurality of bar members 20 pivoted for movement at their ends and centers about pivots 2| in a conventional manner. The end of each tong is secured to the leg shafts it (or E?) by means of a pair of collars 22, 23 surrounding the shafts. The lower collar 22, in each case is fixedly secured to the shaft, but the upper collar 23 is mounted slidably thereon at a point above cross member H5. Each of the collars is provided with an ear 24 to which the end of the tong bars 29 is secured by means of a pivot 25.

The tongs 3 are arranged so that as leg section 4 is moved outwardly from leg section 2, the collars 23 will strike the upper cross members (or the leg sections) and prevent further extension. The number and size of bars 20, forming the ton s are so arranged that this action will occur when leg section 4 has been extended to a point for proper engagement of pins IS with leg shafts ll. In addition, the size of the tongs is so chosen that when they are entirely collapsed, the leg section A will be positioned substantially under transverse member 6 in the flower support I about which the latter is arranged to pivot.

In operation, the table is normally used with the flower support in a horizontal position with the lazy-tongs 3 extended and with the pins 18 positioned in the upper hollow ends of leg shafts H, as can be seen in Figs. 1, 2, 3. While in this position the wire grill 26 is placed on the flower support with the spikes I9 extending through the holes in said grill. Over the grill 26 is positioned a layer of moss 2'! which serves as a bed for the flowers 28 laid on or woven therein. When the grill, moss and flowers have been properly secured together in a conventional manner, they are lifted and removed as a unitary floral piece.

When the floral piece has been removed, the flower supporting section I is lifted at one end to disengage pins I8 from leg shafts l1, and the whole leg section 4 is moved toward and against leg section 2 into the position shown in Fig. '7, with the lazy-tongs 3 in collapsed position. This permits the flower support I to be rotated about its horizontal axis along transverse member 6, mounted in the ends 12 of shafts H to a vertical position closely adjacent the leg section 4. In this position, the entire table occupies very small space and may be conveniently stored.

I claim:

1. A horizontally disposed, substantially rectangular work table for use in making a flower covering for a casket having a pair of legs adjacent each end thereof, one pair of which is movable toward the other pair to a collapsed position;

lazy tongs connecting said pairs of legs and secured thereto to permit said movement; a convexly curved grill pivotally secured near one end thereof to one of said pairs of legs for swinging said grill about a horizontal axis when said pairs of legs are in collapsed position whereby said grill is adapted to be tilted bodily relative to said pairs of legs; locking means on said grill and the other pair of legs for securing said grill in fixed position when said grill is horizontally disposed; means on said grill for supporting said flower covering against slippage.

2. A work table comprising a horizontally disposed, elongated grill, a first horizontal cross bar below said grill at one end extending transversely thereof and rigidly secured thereto, a pair of depending stub posts secured to said bar adjacent its ends, a second horizontal cross bar below said grill rigidly secured thereto at its opposite end and parallel with said first cross bar, a first pair of legs pivotally connected with said second cross bar adjacent one of their ends for swinging from a position at right angles to said grill to a position parallel therewith, a second pair of legs having upwardly opening recesses at their upper ends adapted to receive said posts therein coaxial therewith, and lazy tong-links connecting said second pair of legs with said first pair for moving said second pair of legs to collapsed position alongside said first pair when said second pair of legs are removed from said posts, means for pivotally connecting said first pair of legs to said first cross bar including extensions secured to said one end of said legs and extending at right angles thereto, and the outer ends of said extensions being swingably secured to said first cross bar.

MICHAEL MORELLO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 12,973 Hendricks June 15, 1909 124,120 Curtis Feb. 27, 1872 616,351 Patton Dec. 20, 1898 911,923 Ullrich Feb. 9, 1909 1,369,089 Duif Feb. 22, 1921 1.464904 Feldrnan Aug. 14, 1923 1,524,630 Oversteadt Jan. 27, 1925 1,594,592 Birum Aug. 3, 1926 1,732,008 Frantz Oct. 15, 1929 1,984,048 Riley Feb. 20, 1934 2,016,363 Culotti Oct. 8, 1935 2,212,286 Boyd Aug. 20, 1940 

